Tag Archives: Bahrain GP

Nico Rosberg led second practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix, but the main story of the day was Force India packing up early for safety reasons.

After a team bus was caught up in a petrol bomb attack on Wednesday evening, the team has decided to leave the paddock early, in order to avoid the planned protests later on in the evening. It is expected that they will return for qualifying tomorrow, however.

Rosberg’s time of 1:32.816 was 4 tenths faster than Mark Webber, with Sebastian Vettel another 3 tenths back. Michael Schumacher had a near miss with Vettel near the end of the session at turn 10, but both cars emerged unscathed, with the Mercedes going 5th.

"We have to analyse things. In general, conditions are probably the worst they
have been here with the tyres overheating.
We learned a lot and we are looking much better than maybe we would have thought.
But we need to see where we are. We are having to make changes because out there
it's very unusual - conditions are very tough."

After all of the debate during the last few days, the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend had a quiet start, with Lewis Hamilton leading an uneventful first practice.

Lewis only set 11 laps in the 90-minute session, setting a 1:33.572 regardless. Sebastian Vettel had reverted to the newer-spec Red Bull car, and was 0.3 seconds off the McLaren.

Paul di Resta was 3rd, on the softer tyre. Chinese GP race winner Nico Rosberg was 4th, with Jenson Button 5th, who said he was not expecting to be fast this weekend:

"At the moment I'm not a guy to watch out for but at the moment the Red Bulls and
the Mercedes look very quick. The Red Bull is surprisingly [quick] but hopefully
we will know a bit more tomorrow.
There is a lot of work needed in our garage to improve what we have. I'm not happy
today, we have tried lots of different things and none of them really worked so we
will work late tonight and hopefully find something that will work tomorrow.
At the moment I can't make either [tyre] work."

Fernando Alonso was almost two seconds off the pace in 13th place, with teammate Massa a further two places back.

Timo Glock’s spin at turn 1 near the end of the session was the only noteworthy event.

The FIA has responded to doubts over next week’s Bahrain Grand Prix, stating that the race will go ahead as planned.

Several groups, including Amnesty International, have expressed their worry that the sport will be used as a political tool. Currently, the Bahraini authorities are routinely clashing with pro-democracy protestors, and the safety of F1 personnel has been called into doubt.

However, the sport’s governing body has said that the event will be secure:

"Based on the current information the FIA has at this stage, it is satisfied that
all the proper security measures are in place [...] therefore, the FIA confirms
that the 2012 Gulf Air F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain will go ahead as scheduled."

Despite one team principal stating otherwise last week, most teams have claimed that they are happy to go to Bahrain. Ross Brawn has said that he believes that the situation is better than last year:

It is very difficult for us," said Brawn. "We have to take the advice of people
who have all the information that is happening. We have reassurances from the
FIA that they believe we can have a safe race there, so we follow that advice.
"We are not seeing what we saw last year, for sure. We are taking all the sensible
measures you can to have the best race we can have. There are a lot of positives
about going there, so we don't want to lose that."

Despite this, a report from Amnesty delivers a scathing attack on the Bahraini authorities:

"In recent months, the Bahraini authorities have become more concerned with
rebuilding their image and investing in public relations than with actually
introducing real human rights and political reforms in their country.
Indeed, for the authorities, much is at stake. They are keen to portray Bahrain
as a stable and secure country in order to stave off international criticism.
But as the country prepares to host the Formula 1 grand prix on 20-22 April,
after the event was cancelled last year in response to the instability in the
country, daily anti-government protests continue to be violently suppressed by
the riot police that uses tear gas recklessly and with fatal results. Acts of
violence by some protesters against the police have also considerably increased
in the last three months.
Holding the grand prix in Bahrain in 2012 risks being interpreted by the
government of Bahrain as symbolising a return to business as usual. The
international community must not turn a blind eye to the ongoing human rights
crisis in the country. The government must understand that its half-hearted
measures are not sufficient - sustained progress on real human rights reform
remains essential."

In recent days, protestors have directed their attention firmly at the Grand Prix. Pictures of Bernie Ecclestone have been torched, and several demonstrators have dressed up as Formula 1 drivers holding machine guns. Twitter hashtags such as “#BloodyF1″ make their message clear – they do not want the sport to be seen as supporting the authorities.

It is clear that many do not want the race to go ahead - some more than others

Similar to last year, pressure is growing on the FIA to cancel the Bahrain Grand Prix, which is scheduled to take place next weekend.

Repeated crackdowns on pro-democracy protestors in the region in 2011 have spiralled into waves of violence in recent times. Only yesterday, a home-made bomb exploded in the village of Eker, injuring seven police officers. A spokesperson declared this an “act of terrorism”.

Civil unrest is just as high this year – hunger striker Abdulhadi al-Khawaja is the most prolific example of the people standing up to their government. His protest has been going on for two months, and there are fears that his death in the hands of the authorities would inspire further protests and violence.

The teams have stayed silent on the matter for a while, but recently have taken a stand against the FIA. While the sport’s governing body has repeatedly stated that the race will go ahead, one anonymous team principal has broken his silence and spoken out against the race:

"We're all hoping the FIA calls it off. From a purely legal point of view, in
terms of insurance and government advice, we are clear to go. But what we find
worrying is that there are issues happening every day."

Last year’s farce showed that the FIA are perfectly happy to lie blatantly about the situation until the last second. Only a week before the race was cancelled, they staunchly supported the Bahraini authorities, citing a “spirit of reconciliation” in the country.

This year, they repeated that exact same phrase, while again emphasising that the race would go ahead as planned. Bernie Ecclestone, meanwhile, only blamed the media for stirring up trouble:

"It's business as usual. I don't think the people who are trying to
demonstrate a little bit are going to use anything to do with F1. If
they did they would be a little bit silly.
The problem is people like you [the press] who make the concerns not
the teams and not the people in Bahrain. Seriously, the press should
just be quiet and deal with the facts rather than make up stories."

He then went on to praise the country:

"The good thing about Bahrain is it seems more democratic there than
most places. People are allowed to speak when they want, they can protest
if they want to."

Of course, money has played a large factor in proceedings. The main reason the FIA left it to the race organisers to cancel the 2011 race was so that they could keep the $40m race fee paid by the circuit, despite no race going ahead. To pull such a stunt with people’s lives at risk is just obscene.

With such a large risk involved in going to the troubled region, it is unthinkable that Formula 1 could race in Bahrain this month.

Heads of the Bahrain International Circuit have given in to mounting pressure and announced that they will not persue holding a Grand Prix in Bahrain in 2011.

In recent days the FIA announced that the Bahrain event would return to the calendar, moving into India’s original spot. However, Max Mosley, Bernie Ecclestone and FOTA all agreed to oppose the event. Their argument was that unanimous agreement was needed in order to change race dates, which was never going to be achieved.

After months of critisism from international media, the circuit organisers have conceded that a race will not occur there in 2011.

Circuit chairman Zayed Alzayani has announced:

"Whilst Bahrain would have been delighted to see the Grand Prix progress on October
30th in-line with the World Motor Sport Council’s decision, it has been made clear
that this fixture cannot progress and we fully respect that decision.
Bahrain has always sought to play a positive role in the continued development of
Formula One, from pioneering F1 racing in the Middle East, to helping other countries
in facilitating their own races in new territories, as well as providing our own
unique experience and universal welcome to Grand Prix supporters.
Bahrain has absolutely no desire to see a race which would further extends the
calendar season detract from the enjoyment of F1 for either drivers, teams or
supporters. We want our role in Formula One to continue to be as positive and
constructive as it has always been, therefore, in the best interest of the sport,
we will not pursue the rescheduling of a race this season.
We look forward to welcoming teams, their drivers and supporters back to Bahrain
next year and would like to extend our deepest gratitude to our supporters, including
staff, volunteers, sponsors, private businesses and the general public, for whom I
know this year’s decision will be a disappointment. We would also especially like to
thank the FIA, FOM, The Bahrain Motor Federation (BMF) and the teams for all support
and understanding they have extended to us at this time."

While it will not be confirmed for a while, it is almost certain that the Indian Grand Prix will now be returned to its original October 30th date.

The Bahrain Grand Prix has been reinstated on the 2011 Formula 1 calendar, after a decision made today by the World Motor Sport Council.

The Grand Prix will take place on the 28th – 30th October, when the Indian GP was supposed to take place. No statement has been made on this yet, but it is believed it will be moved back to December, a move that teams are strongly opposed to.

The following statement has been issued by the Bahrain International Circuit:

The head of the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) today welcomed the decision of
the FIA (Federation Internationale de L’Automobile) World Motor Sport Council to
reintroduce the Bahrain Grand Prix to the 2011 calendar.
The decision, announced by the FIA after the Council’s meeting in Barcelona,
follows a FIA delegation visit to Bahrain to assess the situation in country
this week.
Zayed R. Alzayani, Chairman of the BIC, said: “This is welcome news for all of
Bahrain. As a country we have faced a difficult time, but stability has returned;
with businesses operating close to normal, the State of National Safety lifted and
countries removing travel restrictions.
“Collectively, we are in the process of addressing issues of national and
international concern, and learning lessons from the recent past. By the time the
Grand Prix arrives we will be able to remind the world about Bahrain at its best.
“The Bahrain Grand Prix has always been a source of national pride and it is an
event than transcends politics. Not only does it receive strong support from the
Government, but also from all major parties in Bahrain, including our largest
opposition group, Al Wefaq, who yesterday endorsed both the BIC and motor racing
in Bahrain.
“Importantly, it will also offer a significant boost to the economy. The Grand
Prix attracts 100,000 visitors, supports 3,000 jobs and generates around $500m
of economic benefit. Its positive effect will be felt throughout the country.
“On behalf of Bahrain, I would like to thank Bernie Ecclestone, Jean Todt and
the FIA and the rest of the motorsport community for the support and understanding
they have extended to us this year.”
Bahrain is a pioneer of motorsport in the region and the rescheduled Grand Prix
will be the 8th hosted by the Kingdom since its inaugural race in 2004.

After a meeting of the teams in Monaco, team principals agreed their unanimous opposition to the reinstallation of the Grand Prix. After a government crackdown on protestors in the past few weeks, nearly the entire paddock is against returning to the troubled state.

However, according to the Guardian, the teams have no choice in the matter if they are instructed to race:

The Formula 1 teams are united in their opposition to the reinstatement of the Bahrain
Grand Prix but concede that they would be legally obliged to attend should the World
Motor Sport Council give the race the green light."

The teams have made their opposition clear to Bernie Ecclestone. Several human rights groups have also written to the FIA asking them to remove the race from the calendar.

While I don’t want to get political about this, I feel that this is completely the wrong call. On the same day that the race was reinstated, thousands of Bahraini citizens are taking part in a funeral procession for an activist killed in police custody. The efforts that the Bahrain government made to get this race back were disgraceful, and Formula 1 simply cannot be a part of this.

The FIA has allowed the Bahrain Motor Federation an additional month to decide the future of the 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix.

With the original deadline expiring yesterday, rumours mounted that the Grand Prix was in serious doubt for 2011. However, after encouragement from Bernie Ecclestone a few days ago, the FIA is giving more time for the event organisers to make the call.

Violent protests against the Bahrain government caused the race to be cancelled in March, and since then the country has been in a state of emergency.

This one-month extension is being granted to assess the condition of the state’s political climate, which is currently tense to say the least.

With this, it seems almost certain that, if the race is rescheduled for 2011, it will take place after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and before the Brazilian Grand Prix. This is because the 4-week break in the summer is too close to organise a race, and the 20th November seems to be the only achieveable target for the race to go ahead.

Formula 1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone is set to give more time to the Bahrain Grand prix organisers, who are trying to reschedule the race after it was cancelled earlier this year.

Political turmoil and civil unrest caused the event to be called off, and with tension in the region still high, the Grand Prix is still in doubt.

With this in mind, Ecclestone has said that he is willing to allow another month to the organisers:

"We need to wait a little bit to see exactly how progress is made. I suppose we'd be
safe by early June or something like that.
Things can change in a couple of weeks...so you don't know. All of a sudden everything
might be peaceful in a month's time and they are happy to run the event and so we are
happy to be there."

In March the World Motor Sport Council set a deadline of May 1st for the event. However, with a state of emergency in place until the 15th May, and travel offices warning against travel to the Gulf state, there appears to be no end in sight yet to this debacle.

After the cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix, which was due to take place this weekend, the race organisers have been given until May 1st to decide the future of the 2011 event.

Speculation over the past few weeks has been mounting over if the 2011 race can actually take place, as the 20-race calendar contains very few empty slots for Bahrain to fill. Only two choices are currently being discussed. The first is to host the race during the summer break, in early July. However, the searing temperatures (up to 40 degrees) has discouraged this date.

The second option, and the better one in my opinion, is to move the race one week before or after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. However, this poses logistical problems to the teams, who would have up to 3 races in 3 weeks.

With a difficult decision on their hands, the Bahrain Motor Federation has been granted time to make their call, according to an FIA statement:

"The World Motor Sport Council asked the Bahrain Motor Federation to communicate by
May 1st at the latest if the Bahrain Grand Prix can be organised in 2011."

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has also stated that he will look for every opportunity to host the race:

"I don't know how likely it is that there is going to be peace in Bahrain. But if
there is, we will find a way.
The people there have been very big supporters of us, and are becoming bigger and
bigger. We have much more support in Bahrain than we did when we first started
there, and if they want the race we want to supply it for them."

After a week of violence in Bahrain, the country’s prince has decided that the 2011 F1 season opener will not take place.

Instead the season will commence in Melbourne, Australia, on the 25th-27th March.

The announcement was made earlier today by the Crown Prince of Bahrain Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa:

“We felt it was important for the country to focus on immediate issues of
national interest.
Bahrain’s priority is on overcoming tragedy, healing divisions and rediscovering
the fabric that draws this country together to remind the world of the very best
that Bahrain is capable of as a nation once again united.”

It is currently unknown whether the race will take place at a later date, or be cancelled entirely. However, an FIA statement has referred to the race as being “postponed”:

“The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile supports the decision of the
Bahrain Motor Federation and the Bahrain International Circuit to postpone the
scheduled first Grand Prix of the 2011 season due to be held in the Kingdom of
Bahrain on March 11-13.
This decision is the outcome of the close co-operation between the FIA, Formula
One Management, the Bahrain Motor Federation and the Bahrain International Circuit.”

Similarly, the pre-season test in Bahrain, on the 3rd of March, has also been cancelled. Barcelona will organise another test on the 8th-11th March to take its place. Also, the two-week gap where the Grand Prix should have been may also play host to another test elsewhere.

After the horrific violence seen in recent days, there is no doubt that this was the right decision. Even if clashes quell soon enough, the time taken for the country to repair will take weeks or months, and it would be of no service to the people to host a Grand Prix during that time.

In F1 terms, focus will eventually switch to when the race will (probably) be rescheduled. While the event may be moved to the final round slot, I feel it should take place on the 6th November, a week after the Indian Grand Prix, and a week before the Abu Dhabi GP. The thinking behind this is that the close proximity to Abu Dhabi will eliminate the problem of 3 Grands Prix in 3 weeks.